A Salford-based charity has warned that the recent “puppy boom” has led to increasing waiting times at vets, with practices spread thin to accommodate new patients.
Emma Billington, the founder of Dogs4Rescue told TeamDogs the situation has become 'pretty dire'.
She said: "It's shocking, frightening- and it's only going to get worse. We have rescue dogs who need the vets, and we used to be able to ring up and get in, but now it can be 10 days wait."
Since the end of 2019, the UK’s dog population has risen by almost 50%, from 9.5 million dogs to 12.5 million according to a survey conducted by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association.
This has been due largely to many people adopting or purchasing dogs to keep them company during the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, this increase in dog ownership has had repercussions, with waiting lists for veterinary practises having to cope with the influx of new pets.
Figures obtained from Vets Now , the UK’s leading provider of emergency care for dogs, cats and small animals, show that up to 45% of registered pet owners haven’t received their initial vaccination course or subsequent boosters.
Vicky Bridges, a regional manager at the organisation said: “Due to the lockdown puppy boom and the whole Covid situation, ensuring preventative health care has been correctly followed for all pets has been a real challenge.”
This is a problem that Emma has found while rehoming her rescue dogs over the recent months. She has several dogs who require urgent surgery, but is struggling to find a slot to get them seen.
She said: "Even for something as basic as a booster which shouldn't take long, it can be impossible to get in.
"We had an emergency the other day and we couldn't even get into our trusted vets."
The organisation was founded by Emma in 2013 with the aim to rehabilitate dogs across Europe and the UK to homes in the Manchester area.
They pride themselves on being a kennel free environment, instead allowing the dogs to enjoy a lifestyle where they can exercise and socialise with the other animals at the rescue.
The advice vets and rescues are giving would be to try to keep on top of lower maintenance care such as flea and worming treatments, to avoid greater problems further down the line which might need result in more urgent care.
However, Emma has said that it is 'no easy fix'.
She added: "I think it's the responsibility of the vet to make people aware, and start dealing with the problem."
Professional Standards Director at Vets Now Dr Laura Playforth said: “The rise in pet ownership has put unprecedented pressure on vet practices across the UK and there simply aren’t enough vets to meet demand.
“Add to this the situation around coronavirus and self-isolation and we’re facing the perfect storm. A rise in demand for veterinary services brought about by the pandemic puppy boom has resulted in waiting times going up for less urgent cases.”
